Scan barcode
A review by tshepiso
Jessica Jones: Alias, Vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis
4.5
4.5 stars
In Jeph Loeb's introduction to this volume he described Alias as the best of the Marvel MAX line and wandering through this melancholic character-centric superhero noir I could understand why he holds this book in such high esteem.
It's been a while since I read a comic that burrowed into me so thoroughly. Bendis and Gaydos craft such an honest portrait of a fundamentally kind woman facing soul-crushing bullshit on the daily. I'm a sucker for street-level stories in superhero settings, my love of Kurt Buisick's Marvels and Hawkeye (2012) attests to that, and Alias captures exactly what I love about these types of stories. The seamless blend of grounded noir storytelling and the world of Marvel was brilliantly pulled off. Jessica works with heroes like Ms. Marvel and Captain America but even after pulling off a heroic feat and helping someone in need she still goes home to her crappy apartment and works her occasionally rewarding but often depressing hob
Jessica is such a well-rendered protagonist. I live for messy female characters and Jessica is a great one. shes self-destructive and lost
Michael Gaydos's art perfectly evokes the sombre brooding of the story. His freeform sketchy line art and liberal use of inky black shadows give weight and mood to his art that was just a delight to take in. Gaydos and Bendis also loved to play around with panelling which also did a great job of conveying tension and mood, especially during intense dialogue exchanges
A highlight for me in terms of the art for this story was Matt Hollingsworth's work as a colorist. I already added his work in Hawkeye (2012) and he brings the same warmth and cohesiveness to this work. As someone who struggles with a lot of modern comics colouring Hollingsworth's phenomenal work in everything of his I've read
Also, shoutout to Bill Sienkiewicz's work on the superhero portraits throughout the rick jones episodes because those were absolutely stunning.
Brian Micheal Bendis and Michael Gaydos in Alias craft a deeply human exploration of a woman trying her best to make a living and help people despite the shit that's slug her way. And it's excellently done.
In Jeph Loeb's introduction to this volume he described Alias as the best of the Marvel MAX line and wandering through this melancholic character-centric superhero noir I could understand why he holds this book in such high esteem.
It's been a while since I read a comic that burrowed into me so thoroughly. Bendis and Gaydos craft such an honest portrait of a fundamentally kind woman facing soul-crushing bullshit on the daily. I'm a sucker for street-level stories in superhero settings, my love of Kurt Buisick's Marvels and Hawkeye (2012) attests to that, and Alias captures exactly what I love about these types of stories. The seamless blend of grounded noir storytelling and the world of Marvel was brilliantly pulled off. Jessica works with heroes like Ms. Marvel and Captain America but even after pulling off a heroic feat and helping someone in need she still goes home to her crappy apartment and works her occasionally rewarding but often depressing hob
Jessica is such a well-rendered protagonist. I live for messy female characters and Jessica is a great one. shes self-destructive and lost
Michael Gaydos's art perfectly evokes the sombre brooding of the story. His freeform sketchy line art and liberal use of inky black shadows give weight and mood to his art that was just a delight to take in. Gaydos and Bendis also loved to play around with panelling which also did a great job of conveying tension and mood, especially during intense dialogue exchanges
A highlight for me in terms of the art for this story was Matt Hollingsworth's work as a colorist. I already added his work in Hawkeye (2012) and he brings the same warmth and cohesiveness to this work. As someone who struggles with a lot of modern comics colouring Hollingsworth's phenomenal work in everything of his I've read
Also, shoutout to Bill Sienkiewicz's work on the superhero portraits throughout the rick jones episodes because those were absolutely stunning.
Brian Micheal Bendis and Michael Gaydos in Alias craft a deeply human exploration of a woman trying her best to make a living and help people despite the shit that's slug her way. And it's excellently done.